Hilo -- Hawaii State
Soil

Hilo Soil Profile

Hilo soils have historically been used for sugarcane
crops. With the decline of the sugar industry, there has been a shift toward truck crops,
such as ginger and taro; orchard crops, such as macadamia and papaya; and forestry. These
soils cover about 14,500 acres and are considered prime agricultural land. The Hawaiian
definition of the word Hilo is first night of the full moon. Also,
the word is the Polynesian term for Navigator.

The Hilo
series consists of very deep, moderately well drained soils that formed in many layers of
volcanic ash with lesser amounts of dust from the deserts of central Asia. These dust
layers are noticeable because their gray color contrasts with the dark brown and dark
reddish brown subsoil formed in volcanic ash. There are several buried layers within the
Hilo soil profile. Hilo soils occur on the uplands of the Mauna Kea volcano along the
Hamakua Coast.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of
race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex,
marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual
orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because
all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any public
assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of
program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact
USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint
of discrimination write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400
Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800)
795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).